GB561329A - Improvements in or relating to sugar beet or the like harvesting machines - Google Patents

Abstract

561,329. Beet harvesting machines. JOHNSON, T. S., and JOHNSON'S (ENGINEERING), Ltd. Nov. 17, 1942, No. 16226. [Class 6 (iii)] A sugar beet harvesting machine comprises an inclined double conveyer system 6 for gripping the tops and pulling the beets out of the ground, a further conveyer system 17 for subsequently gripping the beet bodies, and a cutting device 19 between the two systems for severing the tops from the bodies while the bodies are gripped by the conveyer system 17. In the machine shown, the earth adjacent the beets is loosened by rotating discs 4 and adjustable shares 5. The two conveyer systems each comprises a pair of endless belts, the inner runs of which are spaced sufficiently apart to afford the necessary grip on the -beets and tops respectively. The belts for the tops are surfaced with india rubber or the like, while those for the beets are formed with curved embracing members. Spring-controlled devices are provided for each inner run to maintain the pairs of such runs parallel. The frames carrying the systems 6, 17 are pivoted respectively at 15, 15a, and the angle of. inclination of the frames may be adjusted. The tops are discharged on to the ground or into a laterally projecting shoot, while the beets may be discharged either on the ground, into hoppers for periodic discharge, through a shoot leading to the ground or into bags, or, as shown, to rotating cleaning rollers 20 which throw the cleaned beets to a conveyer 22. Deflector plates 26 serve to depress the beets into the correct position for the topping operation. The machine is coupled by a coupling 2 to a tractor having a driving shaft 23 serving to drive the discs 4, cutters 19,.the conveyer systems 6, 17, the rollers 20 and the conveyer 22.